Jeep needs new head gasket.

I think my head gasket is blown on my Jeep.
Experienced mechanics share their insights in answering this question :
If you have a head gasket blown you will sometimes see a white smoke coming from your exhaust. If you don’t see white smoke you may see milky look gunk inside the oil fill or dipstick. I would have a technician come out and determine if this is the case. A technician can also perform a leak down test to see exactly what cylinder the head gasket is leaking in.

How to Identify and Fix Common car Problems ?

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Note: Replace the spark plugs, engine coolant thermostat, oil, coolant, ignition wires, timing components, belts, worn pulleys and any seal that was disrupted during removal. The engine components you may need to deal with will vary per application.
If something goes wrong with your head gasket, oil and coolant can leak into parts of the engine where they don`t belong, compromising safety and causing costly damage. That`s why a leaking head gasket needs to be replaced as soon as possible.
How long do head gaskets last? The answer is, they should last as long as the life of your engine. However, if you don`t properly maintain your vehicle or the engine, chances are you`ll be having the head gasket replaced in your vehicle`s lifetime.
If you`re replacing the head gasket on your vehicle you should always replace both of them to make sure your engine stays balanced. Also, since you already have the majority of the engine taken apart to replace once gasket, it is cost effective to do the other one at the same time.
Gaskets are usually replaced on an “as needed” basis as when an engine is leaking coolant, oil, vacuum or compression. New gaskets also may be needed when doing repairs that involve engine disassembly such as removing an intake or exhaust manifold, valve cover, timing cover, oil pan or cylinder head.
Full Head Gasket Sets include all gaskets requested to rebuild a complete engine. They are mainly required when an engine needs a complete repair or rebuilt. These full sets are the most complete sets and include both the gaskets to repair the upper side of the engine and the ones requested to repair the bottom side.
Is it a big job to replace a head gasket? The head gasket separates the two main components in an engine, the block and the cylinder head; it, therefore, takes quite a large amount of time to complete a replacement.
Full Head Gasket Sets include all gaskets requested to rebuild a complete engine. They are mainly required when an engine needs a complete repair or rebuilt. These full sets are the most complete sets and include both the gaskets to repair the upper side of the engine and the ones requested to repair the bottom side.
Water in your oil will allow your bearings to rust and wear out very quickly. If your head gasket leak has caused this problem you are almost always better off replacing the whole engine as a new head gasket will stop the leak but bearing damage has probably already been done.
Replacing your head gasket is an extremely time-consuming task because the engine head has to be removed and then replaced. And the more time a mechanic is forced to spend on that job rather than something else, the more they will charge you.

Relevant Questions and Answers :

the most relevant questions and answers related to your specific issue

i have a 1994 z28 and i did a head gasket replacement for some blown head gaskets. I then tried changing the timing gears and when
ANSWER : Hi there. It really depends on the location of the motor (meaning if it’s installed in the vehicle or loose and on an engine stand), that would factor into the price and whether this is a project one of our mobile mechanics can complete. We can complete the oil pan gasket replacement, but some of the other jobs like wiring harness, intake and rocker arm installation is outside of our scope of service. In regards to estimates for those services, I would suspect it would cost anywhere from $400 to $1,000 based on where it’s completed and what supplies would be needed.

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Got told I needed I new head gasket but my car doesn’t over heat or smokes obut needs o2 sensors… Any suggestion?
ANSWER : Hello, thank you for writing in. Without knowing the symptoms the vehicle is having, it is difficult to say what the issue may be. If you are receiving a code from the computer related to the oxygen sensors, then the sensor(s) may be receiving a reading outside of specification. This can be because fluids are passing through the head gasket and being consumed in the engine. When this happens, the catalytic converter is forced to process contaminants it is not designed to handle. This may set off the an oxygen sensor code. In this situation you would not necessarily see or smell a leak, but you would see a decrease in fluid levels. However, there are several other causes for these sensors to read outside of of specifications. They include a bad connection, bad O2 sensor, or a bad catalytic converter. If you are worried you are being scammed, get a second opinion by contacting our service department.

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My brother is wanting to buy a jeep that needs new headers is that the same as head gasket and will it be pricey
ANSWER : Hello there, the headers are also know as the exhaust manifold on a 1999 Jeep Cherokee. When headers need replaced it is usually due to exhaust leaks, and broken exhaust studs. While this is a bigger job, it is not uncommon. A head gasket repair is internal to the engine and a much bigger deal.

A qualified technician such as one from YourMechanic will be able to perform a pre-purchase inspection before the vehicle is bought, this will find issues that would otherwise be overlooked and give you piece of mind when purchasing the vehicle. Otherwise, one of our mobile technicians can also assist you with the replacement of the exhaust manifold if your brother does go through with the purchase. Best of luck.

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Can i make a new sump gasket for my 98 lancer from cork or rubber gasket sheet or do i need to buy a new one?
ANSWER : Hello. If you have reason to believe that your oil sump may be sludgey, due to waiting too long in between services, then it may not be a bad idea to clean it out. Cleaning the pan / sump out would only help extend and maximize the engine’s service life. You may be able to make a new gasket on your own, however a custom molded oil pan gasket, specifically made for that vehicle can likely be found with little difficulty. If you choose to make your own gasket be sure to do so using a sufficiently oil resistant material.

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I put in a new starter and battery and my Jeep will not start. Please help me get my Jeep to start.
ANSWER : Hi there. Check to see if the wiring to the battery and the starter are tight and clean. A bad connection will cause a no start situation. If the battery cables and wires are all tight and clean, then go in the cab and turn on the ignition switch and see if any thing in the cab works.

If nothing comes on, then check the fuse box for any blown fuses. If all the fuse are good in the cab and under the hood, then the ignition switch needs replaced. If the ignition switch is good and the accessories come on, then either the starter relay in the fuse box has failed or the wires from the starter relay to the ignition switch has become burned or loose. Check the wires from the starter relay on the starter to the ignition switch. If everything checks out to be good, then the ignition switch needs replaced.

If you need further assistance troubleshooting your vehicle, then seek out a technician, such as one from YourMechanic, that can assist you with your no start situation and help you with the power surge.

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How to check which (valve/head)gasket is not working& what is the price to fix head gasket ?
ANSWER : The problems you describe (leaking radiator, overheating) often lead to a "blown" or leaking head gasket. For your vehicle, there is only 1 head gasket, which would need to be replaced. This is in addition to any failure of the radiator or other cooling system components.

I recommend having a YourMechanic mobile, professional mechanic come to your location and perform a car is overheating inspection. This inspection will identify failed cooling system components (radiator, head gasket issues) and recommend/quote needed repairs.

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Can you drive a car that had the ARP head studs honed and the val
ANSWER : Hi there:

Let’s simplify some of the things he’s suggesting. If he broke a connecting rod on his 1.6 liter engine, that probably caused a lot of internal engine damage to occur. Installing new pistons, piston rings, oil pan gaskets and installing new head studs (ARP are nice but irrelevant here) and honed the cylinders (a needed job anytime pistons or rods are replaced) and rebuilt the valves; that’s just the basics for any engine rebuild. If he also installed new valve guides, new timing belt, camshaft, crankshaft, main bearings and all new cylinder head hardware, and the engine was never "windowed" (meaning the broken rod broke through the engine block) then the rebuilt engine should be good. Without knowing if all that other work was completed, it’s impossible to tell you whether or not the repairs are good. In regards to oil changes, during a break in period, replacing every 100 with filters at 500 is a bit excessive (for a street motor). Once broken in correctly, it should be every 3,000 for oil and filter on any rebuilt engine.

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New exhaust gasket and manifold, still have exhaust leak.
ANSWER : The trouble with small exhaust leaks is that they always turn into large exhaust leaks. The hot gas leaking past the gasket will eventually burn up the gasket making the leak worse. If not corrected, it will also burn the surface of the exhaust manifold. It rarely goes so far as to burn the cylinder head, but that can happen in extreme cases. To make matters even more complicated. having an exhaust leak also allows air to enter the exhaust stream and messes with the oxygen sensor reading. Mixture too lean trouble codes will follow as the system shifts rich to try to correct. So, if you want to keep this truck, you need to get this fixed. I’m not sure I buy the line about the head being warped enough to prevent the manifold from fitting, maybe you should get a second opinion on this. You can have this done by contacting Your Mechanic. They will send a technician to your home or office to check out your exhaust leak and let you know what can be done about it.

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